The present invention relates to an improvement in sailboards. In particular, the present invention relates to an apparatus designed to launch a sailboard out of a body of water while the sailboard is being sailed on the water.
A sailboard is a small sailing craft having a hull much like a surfboard. An example of a sailboard is shown in FIG. 3. A mast 12 is attached to the sailboard hull 14 through a pivotable and rotatable connecting member, known as a universal joint 16. The universal joint 16 may be secured to the sailboard hull 14 by a peg member which is integral with the universal joint 16 and is inserted into a mast hole 18 located towards the bow of the sailboard hull 14. A wish-bone boom 20 is attached to the mast 12. A triangular sail 22 is attached to the mast 12 along the sail's long edge and is also attached to the wish-bone boom 20 at a point of the sail 22. Usually, the sailboard hull 14 will have a fin 24 and may sometimes have a center-board 26.
The sailboard is sailed across the water surface S mainly through the action of wind being caught in the sail 22. A surfer 26 stands on the top of the sailboard hull 14 and holds onto the wish-bone boom 20. The force of the wind is transferred to the sailboard hull 14 through the mast 12 and through the body of the surfer 26. The direction travelled by the sailboard can be controlled by the surfer 26 by manipulating the angle of the sail 22 relative to the wind.
It is common for a surfer to sail his sailboard at a cresting wave. The protrusion of the wave and the slope of the wave face creates a fluid ramp from which the sailboard may be launched out of the water, which the surfer may find to be exhilarating. This launching out of the water is commonly termed "wave-hopping". However, in order to be launched out of the water, sailboards conventionally required that a wave exist. Thus, wave-hopping has been limited to bodies of water in which suitable waves are present and sailboarding on relatively flat water lacks the wave-hopping exhilaration. Also, even when waves do exist, they are often inadequate to launch the sailboard being sailed in a given wind.